Debt debate inspires 'slow clap' for Congress

By By John FritzeThe Baltimore Sun

Aug 04, 2011 | 6:35 PM

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As computer programmer Chris Ashworth watched the debate over raising the nation's debt ceiling unfold this past weekend, the germ of a snarky idea entered his head: Why not ask people to make videos of themselves "slowly and sarcastically" applauding members of Congress?

"It seemed like a funny joke," said Ashworth, who posted the idea on the social networking site Twitter.

Within hours,as his comment began bouncing around the Internet, the Charles Village resident realized he was on to something. He registered a domain name — slowclapforcongress.com — and posted a video of himself, somber-faced, clapping slowly.

Soon others were posting videos, too.

The website, which had grown by Thursday evening to include about 50 videos of people clapping, sighing and shaking their heads, has been noted by CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post and several blogs.

A staff member for Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, noted on Twitter that the site is "making the rounds" on Capitol Hill.

"It clearly has struck a chord, and I think it's great that it's an outlet for people's frustrations," said Ashworth, who runs a Baltimore software development company called Figure 53.

Without bells or whistles — Ashworth described the site as "tape and string as far as technology goes" — the idea clearly tapped into the public's growing frustration with Washington. A USA TODAY/Gallup poll this week found that 46 percent of Americans disapproved of the debt ceiling agreement signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama.

The last-minute compromise called for $1 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade — most of which will not be made right away — but it put off difficult choices about entitlement spending and new taxes. A bipartisan panel, which has yet to be seated, has been charged with addressing some of those broader questions by November.

On the site, disappointed-looking people stare wordlessly into the camera and raise their arms slowly to clap. Included in the mix are a dog named Cronkite, a baby named Lily and a person who, instead of clapping, simply brings his fingers together. One man pours himself a drink before starting to applaud.

Ashworth said he's thinking about whether the project has a future — and perhaps some greater purpose — once the consternation over the debt debacle quiets down. He said he has heard from other technology-savvy Baltimore residents who are interested in finding ways keep the site alive.

"It's not especially constructive, which I think is a reasonable criticism of it," said Ashworth, who posts each video manually. "It'd be cool if there was some way to put a more constructive slant on it."